By Annie Bohling
April 5, 2017

Lincoln rock band Laughing Falcon is opening for an acclaimed touring act this weekend, and it’s not the first time.

Laughing Falcon, as well as Lincoln rock band tonlode, will support Wayland at The Bourbon Theatre on Friday.

“Wayland – they’re on their way up,” said Laughing Falcon bassist Kyle Gibson. “They’re getting a lot of radio play right now. It’s an honor to play with them and other touring bands.”

Laughing Falcon has played with Skid Row, Jackyl, Red Sun Rising, Shaman’s Harvest, Tweak Bird and Cadaver Dogs. On April 14, they’ll play again with Jackyl at the Bourbon.

“It’s a lot about knowing people and being prepared,” Gibson said. “We have a really good relationship with the Bourbon. People there know us and if a show comes along there that fits us, they ask us. We’re lucky enough to get this show and Jackyl next week.”

Gibson said opening for a touring act on a big stage is more of a professional and streamlined process.

“Setting up a small show is always completely frantic,” Gibson said. “It’s a whole bunch guys trying to get their stuff off the stage and whole bunch guys trying to get their stuff on the stage at the same time.”

At The Bourbon on Friday, Wayland and Laughing Falcon will start setting up and sound checking in the early afternoon.

“We’ll be all set up in front of them,” Gibson said. “That’s the benefit of a giant stage. It keeps it going really fast and smooth.”

Wayland is a rock group from Wayland, Mich., with vocal harmonies reminiscent of classic rock and guitar and drums leaning toward hard rock.

“They’re a good rock ‘n’ roll band,” Gibson said. “We’re really excited to see them live. … They’ve got a lot of really produced sound reminiscent of modern alternative rock. But live, it’ll be really raw. They’re gonna rock.”

Gibson expects a good turnout at the Wayland show, as well as the Jackyl show. He said last time they played with Jackyl at The Bourbon, which holds about 600, the show sold out. Laughing Falcon has been doing their part with on-the-ground marketing.

“We’ve been pushing it pretty hard marketing wise,” Gibson said, mentioning radio air time on KZUM and other stations. “Our guitarists took concert posters and hung them up in gas stations 40 miles west and 40 miles north of here. Our audience tends to be an older, rock ‘n’ roll group, so we thought, ‘Where would they see it?’”

Laughing Falcon will be playing as three-piece rather than a four-piece on Friday as guitarist Matt Kaminski had to move on from the band because of “life stuff, nothing personal.”

“We’ll be playing a three-piece until July,” Gibson said. “It’s a little different, but it works. We prefer us as a four-piece. But we just turn it up a little bit and add some distortion to the bass and it seems to work.”

Drummer Nate Christiancy will eventually move to guitar and Jordan Elfers, who drums for four other bands in Lincoln, will join the group. Elfers started practicing with the group this week and will join on stage later in the year.

“What we hope to do is record three songs maybe for an EP or something in the fall to get a taste of what the new band is going to sound like,” Gibson said. “Matt brought a lot to the band. He’s a really good guitarist and he did a lot of solo-y, note-y things. Nate is more of a rhythm guitarist. He does a lot more chords. That’s going to open up space for both drums and bass to complete the sound a little bit.

“We’ll probably have a more modern sound that’s less classic rock and probably a little heavier. And we’re already heavy. So we’ll continue on with that.”

Find out more about the show on Friday on the Facebook event page. For more on Laughing Falcon, visit their Facebook page. More on headliners Wayland is available on their website.

Annie Bohling is one of KZUM’s tireless interns.